I have recently planted 3 apple plants in my backyard.
Plant A - Granny Smith
Plant B - Honey Crisp
Plant C - Pink Lady
Where I live, we have a lot of clay soil that retains a lot of moisture. However, being a newbie I planted Plant A and Plant B by digging a hole about a foot deep thinking nothing much of it. These two plants are about 20 feet from each other. Plant A seems to have got itself accustomed to the soil and seems to be doing okay. Plant B on the other hand had leaves that were a little curled up. I was not sure if it was due to too much moisture or if it was normal for the type of apple plant. After about two weeks, decided to take it out and make a raised bed with a small trench for excess water to run out and replanted it. There is no noticeable difference; negative or positive on this plant.
I also decided to add a third apple plant into the mix and this is Plant C. It was planted in between Plant A and Plant B. So, each plant is about 10 feet apart now. I planted Plant C on a raised bed as well and have a little trench for any excess water to run down. When we got Plant C, it already had flowers but they have wilted away but, I have a feeling this plant will also do well.
Here are my questions and concerns.
Plant A
Spots - What are these discolored spots on the leaves indicate? (pics: Plant_A_Leaf_1
Plant B
Leaves - Why are the leaves still somewhat curled up? Is that normal for a honey crisp apple plant?
Plant C
Eaten leaves - Something seems to be eating its leaves? What should I do to prevent it? (pics:
I can only upload one picture since I am a new to this forum.
If you are growing in clay, you were probably wise to plant your trees in mounds or raised beds. So, good move by you, though planting and replanting the Honeycrisp may have stressed the tree in the short term.
I am far from being an expert, but the picture you posted looks like scab to me. Granny Smith is considered to be susceptible to scab. Here’s a link that may be helpful:
Without seeing a picture, it’s hard to say, but from what I understand, Honeycrisp is known to have kind of wonky leaves in general. (Also, I’ve read that Honeycrisp tends to be happier in relatively cool climates, though I don’t know whether that would be relevant to your situation.)
Also hard to guess what might be eating the leaves on your Pink Lady - could be a lot of things. I would take a close look and see if you can identify a possible culprit, but it’s probably not something you need to worry about too much if the tree seems to be doing well overall.
Thank you for taking the time to respond. Plant A (Granny Smith) who’s leaf I posted is not on a raised bed. Since it took off all happy, I am reluctant to replant it. I will check out the link you shared and see if there are any tips there that I can use. Here are a few more pictures of the Granny Smith plant (Plant A). I will post more pictures of the Honeycrisp (Plant B) shortly.
Thanks for posting the pictures - they should help you get more informed responses.
If the Granny Smith seems happy where it is, I would leave it there. (And wouldn’t want to move anything this time of year if you can help it.)
I might think about removing some of those low-down branches.
I see what you mean about the leaves, but the Honeycrisp doesn’t look that bad to me. I don’t grow Honeycrisp, but maybe someone who does (@mamuang?) can give you some thoughts. (I have heard that it tends to be happier in cooler regions, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to have problems with it.
I’m not an apple expert by far, but I have heard that Honeycrisp is known for having low vigor and being difficult to grow. Also, it requires 800-1,000 chill hours, which you may not be able to provide based on your temperature chart. I’m in a similar situation; I grafted a Honeycrisp scion onto an existing tree last year. Even though the graft was successful and grew last year, it hasn’t leafed out this year due to insufficient chill. I hope you have better luck with it.
@Tarbash,
Where do you live? Location plays an important part in you getting relevant answers.
Also, call me a cranky old lady. Could you please not use Plant A, Plant B, etc? You know the varieties.
You have questions about Granny Smith, Honey Crisp and Pink Lady. Call it by the name will make things a lot easier.
Are you in zone 7 or 8?
If it is zone 8, it is quite warm for Honey Crisp. They seem happier in cooler zones. HC is not an apple tree for beginners. It has quite a few issues including yellowing leaves and bitter pit.
It does not look happy being moved. Was it a potted tree or a bare root tree?
Your Granny Smith looked OK to me. If those dark spots increase, you may have frog eyed leave spots, a more common disease in warmer zones.
Hello Mamuang,
I don’t know which map to use in order to tell you which zone I live in. According to Hardiness Zone Finder - Stark Bro's , I am in zone 6B. Does that help? If no, let me know where I can go to check what zone I live in.
This was in a pot when I got it from Home Depot. I will keep an eye on the Granny Smith and then follow any remedies for the frog eyed leaf issue.
The label on the Pink Lady says “EMLA-7 Rootstock”. Pink Lady was bought at Lowes. The Granny Smith and Honeycrisp were bought at Home Depot. They both came in two pots and when replanting I saw they had a little bit of roots.
Let me know if you need any other information I can provide, so that its easier for you to guide me.
I live in Missouri. Thanks for your interest in helping me with my questions.